1.
Public Lecture and DVD
There are still
places available for the following talk in the Fitzgerald (Physics)
Building, Trinity College Dublin, and the DVD is available too.
'Cosmic Casualties'
Monday 9th Feb
at 8pm
Join Doug Ellison, founder of www.unmannedspaceflight.com, who
will be delving into the complex world of space exploration and revealing
the glorious successes and enormous
failures of over 50 years of space travel.
If
you would like to book a place please go to www.astronomy.ie or call (01) 847 0777 or
just come along on the night, doors open at 7:30pm.
Also, we are
putting this talk on DVD for everyone in Ireland at a modest
cost :
ORDER DVD
HERE
Thanks to all those who donated computers and accessories so far. As the
society expands we are still seeking more equipment so please keep them
coming. See
here
3. LOTS TO OBSERVE THIS
WEEK
2009 is a fantastic year so far for binocular and telescope users, and the
pace looks set to continue. There is too much to see each night to list here so
see the Sky Diary pages of our magazine for more, but here is a quick round up
of some of the things you should see. For free telescope advice please call us 6
days a week on (01) 847 0777
VENUS: Observations of Venus are requested for
this week. The planet is now at its best and shows a large crescent disk in even
our smallest telescopes. We only have a few more weeks then we have to wait 3
years to see a sight like this again in evening skies. Please email
observe@astronomy.ie if you observe
Venus.
SATURN: is now rising in the East at 8pm so you
should get good views before midnight. The rings are closest to edge-on that we
will see for 30 years so tell us what you see in your telescope and we will
record it in our magazine for posterity!
MOON: Watch the
Moon rise each evening in the East. It's Full on Feb. 9
LUNAR
OCCULTATIONS: Perhaps the best such event of the year occurred on Feb.
6 and it was clear over most of the country! See page 23 of the February
magazine for details and for 3 more very good occultations this month,
though in morning skies this time. Check this column in our magazine every
month!
I.S.S.: will next be visible from March 18th for about 10
days. (Text SPACE to 57003 if you want to be on our text alert service for ISS,
texts cost 1euro each)
NAKED EYE COMET: Comet Lulin is now mag 7 and in
reach of binoculars as it hopefully brightens to naked eye visibility later this
month. By the end of this week the Moon is out of the way and the comet rises
before midnight near the bright star Spica. A star map showing how to locate
Comet Lulin is on page 28 of our February magazine. See the March issue (out
later this week) too.
As our magazine is filed with national libraries here and abroad it is
the record of Irish observations so we ask every one of you reading this
to email a brief report of what you see every time you go out observing, be it
with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope, especially all of the objects
above:
(to get the magazine for just 4euro each month click the link below)
4. WORK EXPERIENCE
If you know anyone who is seeking work experience (Transition Year
Students, FAS courses, etc) please send them our way. Each year we take on
dozens of people on our work experience programme in our offices in Artane,
Dublin 5.